Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-14
FOR THE SCHOOLROOM.
SUGGESTIONS AS TO HOW IT MAY
BE MADE ATTRACTIVE.
Cleanliness of Primary Impcrtance-A
Source of Untid;ness-ChaIk Dust.
Window Shades and Pictures-FIovers
Notices, Books and Magazines

A clean schoolroom is pleasant even il
I wholly unadorned: but q dirty room is IN
/ slightly IL spite Of the most elaborate decora-
( ton. Before we begin to beauty our school
/ room, therefore, let Us make it clean. The
/ greatest source Of untidiness Is ink No loose
/ ink bottles should be allowed in the room.
! Ink wells sunk ii the desk are the best TO use.
! To keep the floor free from papers, it Is
! only necessary to provide large waste
basket. This should be OF simple and chaste
/ design, and may be made ornamental as well
/ as useful
! Many schoolroouls are rendered unsightly
/ and unhealthy by chalk dust, and yet this
| source Of annoyance and danger can be al
| most entirely done away with b. the use OF
the Justices crayon- The best eraser IS made
! OF channels skin
| Now, having our room bright and clean,
we are ready to decorate.
! Maps and globes Of soft and well arranged
hues should be preferred to those OF brilliant
and inartistic coloring.
Passing TO things not commonly considered
necessary, I viii first mention window
shades. Even where there are inside blinds,
it viii be found that shades or curtains give
the school room home Ike lock, and not
only aid il furnishing it, but also afford
great relief to the eyes.
INFLUENCE OF GOOD PICTURES.
Pictures are within the reach Of all. Good
pictures exert q constant influence, gradu-
ally aud irsensibly raising the taste OF the
pupils, and refining their thoughts. But
cheap pictures are far better than none;
always provided they be good CT their kind.
\ good wood cut Is better than a poor steel
engraving, and a good steel engraving is
better than poor painting. Nothing Is
better than portraits Of eminent men. Views
CT noted places are Of great interest and
value. The geography lesson IS more pleas
antly committed If the pupils can have
meaning given 20 the long. hard names by q
glance at good pictures Of the places they are
studying. Photographs Of ancient sculpture
illustrating classical mythology are eminently
appropriate SO arc photographs Of classic
scenes and buildings, such as the plain Of
Troy, the ruins of Pompeii, the Coliseum
and the Parthenon.
Notices are pretty decorations for g school
room. They have also a far greater moral
power than most persons would suppose.
Who can estimate the potency Of the worlds
aphorisns and proverbss
Nothing can be mora beautiful or hitting
for school adjoining than flowers lis
pretty custom Of many rural towns for the 1t
tie children to bring bouquet OF wild flowers
each morning to teacher" 1t VIII be well to
have a few pots Of flowers always blooming
in the window
In a corner Of the room should be hand
some book case filed with well bound books
of reference-the dictionary and cycIopedia,
of course, and good atlas and gazetteer
Then add as many books of travel, history
and science as possible In another corner l
would have a table covered with baize. on
which should be laid 4 daily and 4 weekly
paper, and one or two of the leading monthly
magazines. \ few comfortable chairs aboI;
this table would be attractive on rainy days,
before school and during the incoming. -
Youths Companion